Teacher's Pet OUR Person of Interest Episode
by ReeseisLAVAhot
Summary: A POI episode as we would write it if we could.  Contains our own character creation. We'd love your feedback!  TO SEE AN ILLUSTRATED VERSION OF THIS STORY, VISIT REESEISLAVAHOT. BLOGSPOT. COM


"Teacher's Pet"- OUR Person of Interest Episode

CHAPTER 1

I hung up the phone in a bit of a daze. The voice on the other end was one I had never thought to hear again in this lifetime.

A low ghostly voice told me "You need to meet me at White Dunes Beach. Do you remember those things I taught you about evasion?"

"Yeess." I stuttered.

"Then go, NOW." And the phone went dead.

Hearing that voice once more brought me back to that terrible time in my life where nothing seemed like it would ever be normal again. Just six short months ago, I had been "introduced" into the world of Mr. John Reese. I had heard that he was the one to contact when all else seemed lost. He was and is an expert at uncovering peoples' secrets and flaws.

It started with me feeling like someone was always watching me. At first I thought I was being paranoid. After all a woman living alone in NYC HAS to be a bit paranoid about safety. But then one day I came home and saw that the coffee was NOT where I remembered putting it that morning. It really freaked me out. Nothing else in my apartment was touched, just that one little detail. I began watching everyone out of the corner of my eye.

After the coffee incident, I contacted my only true friend in the city. An old friend from high school that now lived and breathed the law. She was a detective on the NYC police force.

"Detective Carter, homicide." she answered the phone.

"Hi Joss! It's Cecilia Caro. Can you spare me a few minutes? Perhaps meet me for lunch?" I asked.

"Sure thing, Cecilia. Everything ok?"

"No, and that's what I want to talk to you about but not over the phone. Do you

know that diner on 49th and Washington? The Lyric? Can you meet me there tomorrow at say eleven?"

"Yes. I'll be there." she paused. "Take care, Cecilia. Call me if you need something before then." and we hung up.

I must have sounded a little worried even over the phone. Then again, Joss always was a perceptive one. It was what made her so good at her job; that and the fact that she was the best at connecting the dots. So, the next day I found myself waiting for her in the diner we had agreed to meet at. I was even more scared today. When I had arrived home last night my computer was on. I never leave my computer on and had recently taken to changing my password every morning before I went off to work. That night I slept with a kitchen knife under my pillow and all the lights on in the apartment.

The next day, I left work early and walked down 49th towards the diner where I was supposed to meet Joss. I looked everywhere around me, watching for someone, I don't know, anyone who looked dangerous or looked at me funny. After the incident with my computer I was pretty sure that someone HAD to be watching me. And then, just before I arrived at the diner, I saw the same man for a third time. I started shaking. I almost stopped and turned to run, but then I remembered the reason I was here in the first place and I walked very fast down the next block and into the diner. I took a seat and several deep breaths, watching the door for any sign of the man or my friend.

She showed up three minutes later. "Hi, Joss." I said with obvious relief.

"Hi, Cecilia. What's up? Why the phone call after all these years? I've missed you, how have you been?" I relayed my story of the coffee and the computer and the feelings of being watched. I ended with the idea that I was now being followed. She then handed me a number, the number of a private "contractor" by the name of John Reese. He was supposed to be good at weeding out the unknown.

"I don't know Joss, I'm not sure about this, maybe I'm just..."

She cut me off. "Look Cecilia, I KNOW you. You aren't imagining things. Call him.

He can help you. He's very professional for what he does and I trust him. Actually if things are as bad as I think they are getting, I'm surprised HE hasn't contacted YOU."

I wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean and told her so.

"Never mind. Just call him Cecilia. Today."

I told her I would and we ate the rest of our lunch, reminiscing about the good ole days of high school. Later on that day, I picked up the phone and dialed the number she had given me earlier. My hands were trembling. My high school friend said she trusted this guy, but at the moment, I trusted no one.

A soft, low masculine voice answered, "This is Reese, leave a message." I left my first and last name along with my number and also mentioned how I had gotten his name. I quickly hung up and poured myself a stiff drink.

I was just starting to relax when there was a knock at the door. The fear was back in an instant. I grabbed the kitchen knife that I had taken to carrying around with me. I resolved that if I survived this, I would get a handgun and learn how to shoot it. I slowly approached the door, once more cursing the super for not installing that peephole I had asked him about months ago. I opened the door and standing there was a very tall man in a dark suit and driving coat. He had a look to him that screamed danger to my already sensitive nerves. I tried to slam the door immediately but he just stuck his foot out to catch the door and then walked in.

I raised my knife and said, "Stay back! I'm not afraid to use this!" I was pleased that my voice wasn't trembling as much as my knees were.

He quickly knocked the kitchen knife out of my shaking hand. "I'm John Reese." the voice spat out. "First rule never answer the door without asking questions first. Second, never threaten someone with a knife, unless you intend on using it." He quickly surveyed my apartment, telling me what things needed to be secured and how, most of them, he would do himself. He was so handsome, and yet very professional and thorough.

His self-assurance and calm demeanor put me a little more at ease. He strode around the apartment like he owned it. I went to the counter and poured myself another drink. "I'd offer you one." I told him. "But I know you wouldn't take it." He gave me a look and told me to sit down.

"I need you to tell me everything that you told Detective Carter. Start at the very first time you ever felt like you were being watched."

I did as he asked. He stopped me repeatedly to ask questions... Did I notice anyone in my building who didn't belong? Did anyone new start working at my job lately? What time was it when I went to work, came home, felt like I was being watched? The questions he asked made me feel like I was reliving every frightening moment. When I was done, I felt worn out and drained.

After he was done grilling me, Mr. Reese said he'd be back in touch with me very soon, that I should begin securing my apartment and he left as quickly as he came. But before he did, he asked one more question. "How did you know I wouldn't accept a drink?"

"Because, Joss said you were a professional and even I can see that she's right. I didn't think professionals would drink while working." He nodded at that and then left.

After he closed the door, I took my first deep breath of relief. I could still smell his masculine scent wafting throughout my apartment, a mixture of musk and the woodsy scent of oak. A small part of me had wanted to beg him to stay here tonight. I didn't want to be alone again. But I felt a little better as I went around the apartment and secured it as he had instructed. The last thing I did before I went to bed was to jam a chair under the front doorknob. I grabbed the kitchen knife from the counter where Mr. Reese had left it and walked back to my bedroom. I knew he had said that I shouldn't carry it unless I was prepared to use it, but it made me feel better having it under my pillow. I changed and climbed into bed. I must have laid there for twenty minutes before I realized just what it was that was keeping me awake. While I wasn't as frightened of some unknown stranger as I was before, I now was a bit worried about the stranger that was Mr. Reese. I remembered how those deep blue eyes were so penetrating when I was relating my story. How he always sat with his back to a wall and never a door. There was something so deadly about the way he held himself, about the way he kept his hands at the ready. Then I started thinking about those hands. They seemed so deadly, yet I also realized that I did not think I had anything to fear from them or him. I was just being silly, I told myself. He was here to help. And so I feel asleep dreaming of tall, dark handsome men with blue eyes. I felt as though I could still almost smell his scent from earlier and I found that immensely comforting.

CHAPTER 2

The next morning I woke up at the usual time and walked out of my bedroom. And stopped dead. HE was sitting on my couch, totally at ease. My jaw dropped.

"I thought you had me secure my apartment! How did you get in?" I managed to ask.

For the first time, his composure broke and he gave me a little smirk. "I told you how to secure the apartment against others, NOT against me. The chair was a nice touch by the way."

I couldn't decide what to do next. Should I act normal, like having a man in my living room when I woke up was the most natural thing? Or should I appear as flustered as I really was at finding him here. As he faced the light and looked out the patio window, I couldn't help but notice how incredibly handsome he was. Those high cheekbones and that full mouth had me thinking thoughts I had no right to think. His next words solved my dilemma for me.

"I brought you some coffee. It's on the counter. Two cream, three sugars." I threw him a grateful look and practically ran to the kitchen. I couldn't function without my coffee in the morning.

"Wow, you are a full service contractor aren't you?" I asked after taking a few sips. "Speaking of which, I'm not sure how much your fee is…"

He interrupted me. "Don't worry, it's been covered."

"Covered? By who? Joss? She can't afford it, she's a single mom. I can pay you as long as the price isn't too high. "

He frowned a little at my last words but said "No, it wasn't Detective Carter."

"Then who? I pay my debts. In fact, I insist."

"It's covered. You don't need to know by whom." he said again a bit more forcefully. I could tell from his tone that I wouldn't be getting any more out of him about it. "You'd better get moving if you don't want to be late for work." He changed the subject.

"I suppose you're right." I agreed reluctantly. I did NOT like all this secrecy. But I reminded myself I liked being scared out of my wits even less. I walked towards the bathroom to jump in the shower and once again stopped dead as a thought occurred to me. "How did you know how I like my coffee?" my voice rose a little higher as I thought about the implications of this.

He just gave me another one of his enigmatic smirks and said "You'd better get ready. You don't want to be late for class. It sets a bad example if the teacher is late."

I gave him my own look and went into the bathroom. I firmly clicked the door locked behind me and heard a low chuckle from the living room. I showered and got dressed rather quickly, wondering how this day was going to go. I asked Reese (I thought I could be at least that familiar with him since I had found him sitting in my living room this morning) what was the plan for the day and what he was going to do about my being followed.

"We need to find out first why you are being targeted and I need to keep you in sight today in case whomever is targeting you decides to be more direct." He explained.

"And just how do you plan to do that? You can't sit in the back of my classroom. It wouldn't be allowed and more importantly, it would be distracting to my students." Especially my female students I thought to myself. And if I was being honest with myself, I too would find him distracting.

"It's all been arranged. I am filling in at your school as a substitute today."

"It has? By the same person who paid your fee?" I asked quickly. He gave me an inscrutable look. "Never mind. So, what qualifications did you have that made them accept you as a sub?" He was silent. "That's what I thought. Mr. Reese, they are going to eat you alive." I predicted. I shook my head and went into the kitchen to make myself a lunch.

"Did you pack a lunch for yourself?" I called out.

"No. I rarely eat while I'm working. If I need to, I'll just pick up something at the school."

I frowned. "Suit yourself." I answered. I began packing a second lunch and shoved both into my briefcase.

"Ok, I'm ready." He nodded.

We walked out of the building together and he said to me, "I'm going to teach you a little about how to evade people. " A cab pulled up to the curb. He waved it away. "First, NEVER take the first cab that comes when you call. Chances are it is either being driven by the people you want to avoid or is one that can be easily tailed by them. Always flag one down, let it go and take either the second or third cab that comes. Better yet walk a block or two and then flag a few. "Second, do NOT look like you are looking around for someone following you. That's the best way to draw attention to yourself. Use any reflective surface you walk by to see who is behind you." We walked to the nearest subway station. "Always know how to get away quickly. For those routes you use regularly, try and memorize the schedule. And vary your route as much as you can. " My exasperation must have shown.

"Look, you need to follow my directions if you want to live." He spoke to me in a flat tone of voice. "Or am I wasting my time here?"

I stopped walking and looked him straight in the eyes. "I am NOT questioning your techniques or the need for them. I just can't imagine how anyone can live a life this way!" I sighed. "I promise to do everything you tell me. I am extremely grateful that you are here. I'm sorry if it seemed that I'm not." I took one of his hands and covered it between both of mine and when I looked into his eyes again I tried to convey my sincerity. "Thank you, John for being here for me."

He gave me a quick, half smile and then removed his hand from mine. "Ok, next. You need to blend in and be as anonymous as possible. Do not wear bright colors that would make you visible in a crowd. If everyone around you is walking fast, then you do too. If they walk slow, then so do you. Keep your head low. We are lucky that you are not so tall that you'll stand out."

And that's how the rest of the trip to school went, he kept giving me tips on how not to be noticed and how to escape into a crowd. When we got off the subway he told me to walk in front of him and not to look back. We were about two blocks from the school when I stopped and waited for Reese to catch up with me.

"You ARE carrying a gun aren't you?" I asked. He looked at me as if I were asking if the Pope was Catholic. "Well, you won't be able to bring it into the school. You won't even get past the metal detectors." I felt rather smug about the matter considering how laughable my knowledge had been during the lesson he had just given me on evasion.

"I have my ways." was his only reply. I'm not sure why I cared, but part of me kept searching for a way to break that calm, even demeanor he used. Maybe I just liked a challenge. He dropped back again so that we would not appear to arrive at the school together.

I walked through the front doors and through the metal detectors I had warned him about. I slowed down though as I was walking towards my classroom. I was waiting to hear the loud beep as Reese walked through them. Of course, I heard nothing. The dratted man DID know his job. I SHOULD be happy about that. I couldn't believe that in less than twenty four hours, this man had gotten under my skin so much. I resolved to forget him and this whole situation for the next few hours.

It wasn't that hard to do actually. I was teaching the kids about anatomy that day by having them perform a pig dissection. Having twenty four teenage students waving scalpels around in the same classroom was bound to keep anyone's thoughts occupied. Before I knew it, it was lunchtime. I headed down to the faculty lounge and took a seat at my normal table with the rest of the teachers with whom I normally had lunch. Reese walked in a few minutes later carrying a lunch tray. I had a smirk of my own when I saw what lunch was, tacos. I tried to follow the conversation at my table while keeping an eye on Reese. A few seconds later, I got my wish in regards to that even demeanor breaking. Reese took one bite of the concoction that was his lunch and for just a brief moment, made one of the funniest faces I've ever seen. If I hadn't been watching for it, I might have missed it. I had a very hard time choking back the laugh. I smiled for the rest of the lunch period and it seemed to me that the jokes my colleagues told were just a little bit funnier than usual. A few times, I thought I caught Reese looking at me with a strange, half sort of smile but by the end of the period, I was sure I had been imagining it. As I got up to go to my next class, I waited for everyone else to leave and I took the extra lunch out of my briefcase. As I walked by, I whispered to him. "You should have stuck to your own rules. Don't eat while you work." I was SURE I saw a small smile as I let the door close behind me.

The 2:50 bell rang and classes ended for the day. I walked outside to find Reese already waiting. We walked slowly back to my apartment. He looked a little disheveled. The kids obviously got the better of him. He told me that during the day he had observed all my co-workers and saw nothing out of the ordinary. But he asked about the vice principal and where had she come from?

I told him, "Mrs. Moore? I don't know, but she has a definite Bostonian accent."

When we arrived at my apartment building, he walked with me upstairs to my 2nd floor apartment. The apartment door was ajar. With his left hand he pushed me aside and just as quickly he pulled out a black handgun from behind his back. He swept my apartment with stealth and precision and then announced. "Clear." I walked in and my apartment looked like a tornado had hit it. I stifled a cry at the sight of my parents' photo lying broken on the floor. I picked it up.

"This is one of the few things I have left from my parents! Mr. Reese, this has got to stop!" I sat down heavily on the couch just cradling the picture and looking around at the ruin that was my apartment. I wasn't sure what to feel right now, numbness or sadness. In the end, I felt tears run down my cheeks. I brushed them aside. I looked up to see Reese giving me a strange look. The man was so hard to read! At that point, Reese decided it was best to leave the apartment and told me to pack as many clothes into a bag as I could; he was taking me to a "safe house".

I threw a bunch of clothes into a backpack I had, not really paying attention to what I was doing. The last thing I packed was the photo of my parents. I kept asking myself why was this happening to me? Reese appeared in the doorway and I jumped.

"Sorry." I said.

"Don't apologize for following your first instinct. It could save your life. Are you done?" I shrugged. I just wanted this all to end.

Reese once again drew his gun as we walked out of my apartment. I followed him out and once on the street he held the gun concealed in his hand. We walked about six blocks and stepped inside a building that looked abandoned, one I'd taken notice of before today. Inside was a man, who introduced himself as Harold and shook my hand. He then told me, "Ms. Caro, all will be well, you're safe here".

I looked around me. The place was very nicely furnished, much more expensively than my apartment. All the cop shows I had ever seen showed the "safe house" as a dump of a place. I suppose if I had to be "caged", and this was what it felt like now, then I wouldn't mind staying here for a little while.

Harold cleared his throat. "Ms. Caro, I was wondering if you might be able to tell us a little about your past. It might be connected to your current situation."

"There's not much to tell. My mom was an English teacher and my dad was an accountant. But they were both were murdered when I was six. When the gunmen entered my parents' home, I was playing downstairs in the cellar. I heard my mother scream and then I heard a soft pop. I hid behind a wall panel to a small room that no one knew about except my parents and myself. It was my dad's office. He called it, his "safe place to work". The cops found me there the next day. I was adopted soon after. My only memory of my parents' deaths, was that of one of the gunmen. I saw he had a tattoo on his forearm. It was very small, but unforgettable. It was some sort of flag, not American. It turned out to be the Greek flag. When the gunmen searched the house, they never found the secret door to my dad's safe place and I peeked out for a moment and saw the tattoo on the gunman's arm."

Harold showed me to a room which he said would serve as my bedroom. I started to unpack; first, the wedding photo of my parents. Harold noticed the broken frame. He limped out of the room and upon his return, he handed me a frame.

"Here, you can use this." He said. Just then, a small piece of paper fell out from behind the photo and fluttered to the floor. Harold picked it up and noticed it was a spreadsheet with names and account numbers.

"I didn't know that was there! After my parents were murdered, the photo was the one thing I hid from the police. I knew they wouldn't let me have it and I hid it inside my big stuffed bear."

"May I borrow this?" Harold asked. I nodded. He went back out into the main room and I could hear him starting to type again. I wondered what the paper had to do with my parents' deaths and if it related to what was happening now. I sat there pondering things for a while when I heard Harold talking, then I heard Reese's voice. I walked out to see what was going on.

"Mr. Reese, I was able to pull some video of the people who ransacked Ms. Caro's apartment using the cameras you planted. I'm sending it to your phone now."

"I'm at Ms. Caro's apartment. The place has been tossed like the guys were looking for something."

"As to that, I may have some…" Harold stopped talking as we all heard a phone ringing in the background.

"Finch!" Reese said quickly.

"I'm on it!" Harold typed furiously and explained to me that he was going to trace the call.

My message came on after a few rings and I held my breath waiting to hear who was calling me. A menacing voice spoke from the answering machine, "How do you like what we did to your apartment, Bitch? Next time it'll be you who gets messed up, just like your parents. And before we do it to you, you WILL tell us where the money is that your dad stole from our employer. Seems he has quite a grudge against your family." And the man laughed evilly before he hung up.

I stood there frozen for a minute. So this was about my parents. The same people who killed them were now after me.

"Mr. Reese, the call came from a bar a block away called the C&S saloon. You need to get there NOW!"

"I'm on my way, Finch. Keep a close eye on Ms. Caro."

Harold and I watched Reese walk from my apartment building to the bar using views from the cameras on the street. "My God, I never realized how many cameras there are out there!" I said, shocked.

"Yes, Ms. Caro, every move that you make, every word you speak can be monitored these days." I gave him a piercing look but then Reese arrived at the bar.

Just as Reese approached the bar, two guys walked out and Reese recognized them from the photos Finch sent on his phone only minutes earlier. The two guys walked into the side alley to a waiting car. We watch as Reese grabbed the back of one of the guys' collars and shoved him into the other one. The two guys staggered around for a second and then one took a swing at Reese who threw up an arm to block it and with the other hand gave him a right hook. The man's head snapped backwards just as the other guy came up behind Reese. I wanted to scream "lookout!" but Reese must have heard the guy coming up behind him and gave him a donkey kick throwing him back. Just then one of the guys pulled a knife. Reese sneered and pulled his gun from behind his back and didn't even bother to take aim just shot, sending the guy backwards onto the hood of the car. The other guy pulled out a gun and a shot hit Reese, only grazing his left side. Again, Reese pulled the trigger without seeming to take aim and the guy slumped towards the ground.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and Finch said to him, "I thought we were going to question them Mr. Reese. We needed to know who their employer was."

We watched as Reese searched one of the guys. He found a number on an old, ripped piece of paper that appeared to match the one that I gave to Finch. Reese told us that the torn paper also had one name on it "Elias".

"Finch, somehow Elias is mixed up in this. We need to find out how he and Ms. Caro are connected. I'm coming back to the safe house. We need some more answers from her."

Just then Reese looked at the forearm of the one slumped over the hood of the car. He took a photo with his phone and sent it back to us. Finch turned towards me, "Ms. Caro, is that the flag tattoo that you saw on the killers twenty years ago?"

I stammered out a "Yes."

"Mr. Reese, Ms. Caro identified that tattoo as the same one that she saw on her parents' killer."

"Well this guy is too young to have been involved in that killing. While I was at her school today, I noticed that the Vice Principal, Mrs. Moore had a tattoo just like this. I'm going to head over to the school to have a 'talk' with her right now."

"Who is Elias?" I asked Harold. He explained about Elias's campaign to take over organized crime here in NYC.

We watched through the cameras as Reese got into the two guys' car and drove toward the school. As he was pulling into the parking lot, he spotted Mrs. Moore leaving and getting into her car and followed her.

I walked over to a chair and sat down. How could the vice principal of the school be involved in this? I asked myself. She just started there a month ago and only few weeks after I did. I had had very little interaction with the woman.

Then Mrs. Moore drove to a building located in Brooklyn. Reese parked just out of sight and watched her get out and walk into what looked to be a vacant building. Just before she went in, Reese told us that he was going to blue-jack her phone so we would be able to hear any conversation.

"Here's todays collection money" we heard her say. An unidentified male voice answered, "Great. Elias will be happy you're following directions so well." A minute later, she walked back out through the front door and got back into her car. Reese followed her again, to an apartment building. She got out and this time so did he. He stopped her just before she had unlocked the door. He pulled his gun and told her to get back into her car. He demanded her car keys and her cell phone. Walking back towards her car, she looked around and saw that no one was around to hear her.

Reese must have seen her looking because we heard him say, "Don't even think about screaming. I'm not above shooting women."

They got into her car, he slipped in behind the wheel and she got into the passenger side. He didn't start the car though, but rather he started asking her questions in a hard tone of voice. She broke down and divulged that her daughter, Sheri was kidnapped three months ago and that she was told to get the tattoo and wait for instructions. Every day, she was sent photos of her kidnapped daughter.

"Her father is a man named Elias." she blurted out and began crying.

Reese sighed. "I'll help you get your daughter back, but you need to promise me one thing. You need to leave this city afterwards. It won't be safe here for you or your daughter once Elias finds out that you spoke to me."

The woman nodded. "I'll do ANYthing to get my daughter back. Then I promise to disappear. I want nothing more to do with that man."

"Do you have any idea where they are holding your daughter?"

"Actually yes, they've always been very careful to show Sheri in photos where the background was a generic gray wall. After several months though, they must have gotten sloppy. Just two days ago, the photo showed a part of an office door that I remember seeing in a warehouse Elias owns on Yarrow and High Streets."

I could hear the warning in Reese's voice as he spat out, "If you let on to Elias in any way that we've spoken, I won't help get your daughter back. In fact, she'll be out a mother, if you get my meaning?"

Mrs. Moore her nodded her head and whispered "I understand".

Reese got out and walking towards his car, he touched his ear and asked if Finch had gotten all that.

"Yes," Finch answered. "Mr. Reese you wouldn't really kill Mrs. Moore? After all she has a daughter."

"That's exactly why I said that Finch. If she tells Elias anything about meeting us, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. I need her to be scared enough of me to keep her mouth shut." Reese explained.

A few minutes later, Reese walked into the safe house and I noticed his shirt was blood stained. I stifled a scream and it came out as a gasp. Finch limped into the bathroom and returned with a first aid kit. Reese slipped off his driving coat and then unbuttoned his shirt.

He used that smile on me that I found so devastating to my senses and said, "It's only a scratch". I took the first aid kit from Finch and started to tend his 'scratch' and then I looked up into those blue orbs. Just then Finch walked out of the room and Reese seized the chance to lower his head towards mine. His lips touched mine and a warmth started to rise within me. I was so surprised at this turn of events, I just stood there for a second. As Finch came back to join us, I gently started washing the blood off and then bandaged the spot. He was right, it was just a scratch.

"You need to be more careful next time." I told him.

He shrugged. "It's part of my job." He turned to Finch. "Do you have blueprints for the building the Vice Principal told us about?"

"Yes, Mr. Reese. What do you intend to do about the girl?"

"I'm going to call Fusco. He and I will go and get her."

Finch handed the blueprints and another shirt to Reese. Reese winced slightly as he stood and took the shirt from Finch. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of his fully naked chest standing before me. He had several other scars that were clearly visible despite his tanned and taut skin. My hand itched to reach out and stroke that smooth skin. Finch noticed me perusing Reese and cleared his throat. Reese then dialed Fusco and told him where and when to meet him.

Finch and I anxiously waited and listened as Reese met up with Fusco. Reese told Fusco that he planned to cut the power to the building in order to blind and disorient the kidnappers.

"Yeah, you got a couple of those flash-bangs you used in my car that time?" Fusco asked.

"Yes," Reese replied, "but remember not to put these night vision goggles on until after we use them. Let's go."

We heard several bangs, gunshots and a few screams, then nothing. I found myself straining to hear even a hint of Reese's voice. Was he hurt? Where was he? Why didn't we hear anything?

And then, relief. "We've got the girl Finch. Fusco is going to bring her back to her mother. I'm coming back to the safe house. We still need to figure out how Elias knew about Ms. Caro."

What seemed like hours but was actually only a few minutes later, Reese walked in. He sat next to me on the couch. He spoke softly, but was dead serious when he asked me if I remembered seeing the flag tattoo in the past five months. I told him, my previous teaching job was at St. Marks and I had befriended a male teacher there.

"One day, as we were discussing our students and comparing notes, he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and I casually noticed a tattoo on his forearm. I didn't mention I had seen it before, I didn't even remember that fact about my parents murder until Harold asked me about the whole incident. But, the guy did notice me looking at it. Two days later, I was transferred to another school with no explanation except that they were reorganizing personnel."

Reese abruptly sat upright and asked me what the male teacher's name was. "Charlie Burton." I replied.

Reese jumped up and shouted for Finch. Finch limped in as fast as he could. "Finch, Ms. Caro has met Elias! She worked with him and noticed a tattoo on his arm without attaching any significance to it." Harold's eyes widened behind his glasses. They both stood there not saying anything for a few moments.

"What, are you saying Elias is also Charlie Burton?" I asked. Harold nodded.

"Well, there is nothing we can do about this tonight, first thing in the morning, I'll look into the owner of that warehouse where you found Mrs. Moore's daughter." Harold said. "Perhaps that will lead us towards Elias. I suggest we all sleep on this."

Reese continued to pace back and forth. Finally he said, "I'm going to go and see if I can follow the trail of any of those men from the warehouse." Then he stopped and looked at me. "That is if you'll be ok here alone tonight?"

I dismissed his concern. "I'll be fine. I'm a big girl. But YOU should get some sleep too. You've been in two fights today AND taught a full day of classes. It's almost 2 am. Go get some sleep!"

To make my point, I got up and went into the bedroom and shut the door. There was a few seconds of whispered conversation and then I heard the door shut in the other room. I lay down on the bed and tried to settle my mind for sleep. Instead, I ended up tossing and turning most of the night and by the next morning, I felt like a zombie.

I rose, called my school to set up a substitute and decided to go get coffee myself. I desperately needed it before I could face another day like yesterday. I grabbed my keys and purse and left a note for Reese and Finch stating where I was going. I suspected that Reese might be a little put out with me for leaving, ok, a LOT put out. But after all, I was my own woman. I just told myself that I'd have a chance to put Reese's evasion techniques to the test.

I planned to go just down to the nearest corner coffee shop, but there was not one within the first two blocks. I called a taxi, let it go and took the next one just as Reese had instructed me. I gave the driver the directions to a coffee shop halfway between here and my apartment. It was the closest one I knew. I got out of the taxi and sat down in the coffee shop to drink my coffee. I enjoyed watching the people on the street hurrying by, and I forgot what time it was. When I finally realized I had been gone for an hour, I quickly got up and hurried out. I didn't get very far before I heard a voice behind me and felt something sharp poking me in the side.

"Thought you could hide from us did you? Bitch!" the man behind me dragged me into the alley next to the shop. "We found you anyway, alone, and now we're gonna kill you just like Elias hired us to!"

"Who said she's alone?" That low voice sounded like an angel from heaven. Reese stepped out from the shadows at the head of the alley. He didn't spare me a glance, kept his eyes on the men who had dragged me into the alley, but I could tell by the set of his jaw, that he was angry. VERY angry.

The man who was holding me shifted the knife to my throat and I hissed as it drew a little blood. I never saw what happened next, Reese was a blur of movement. He punched the man holding me so hard, I heard his neck snap and he went down. I tried to step away quickly but another man grabbed my arm and swung me towards himself, his knife in his hand. Reese's leg snaked out and kicked the knife out of his hand while elbowing another man in the face. A third man slashed at Reese before he could move out of the way. I looked around for something to use as a weapon but saw nothing at first. Reese continued to fight with his hands, legs and even body and then I saw the knife he had kicked out of the man's hand. I reached down to grab it and as I straightened up, I saw one of the men connect with Reese again with his knife. Reese kicked at him and I didn't even have a chance think about it, but I plunged the knife into his side as the man tottered towards me off-balance. I felt the knife connect with bone and my hand went numb. Around that time, Reese slammed the last man into the wall and stood there panting.

He took a look at me, with my blood-stained hand and wide-eyes and said "Come here." It took me a minute to get my legs working again. When I did, he gently took my hand and asked if I was alright, where was I bleeding? I just shook my head. I didn't trust myself to speak without choking on my words. Reese used one of the men's coats to wipe the blood off my hand once he realized none of it was mine.

"They are all dead. You are safe now. That was the last of the men that Elias hired. Finch thinks he knows where to find Elias. He's alerting the authorities now. Let's go."

I followed him out of the alley. It was a few minutes before I was able to ask him how he had found me. "Finch tracked you through your cell phone." He grabbed my arm and spun me to face him. "What were you thinking?" he asked angrily. I wasn't able to meet his gaze. I felt bad that he had had to come to my rescue once again.

"It doesn't matter, it was a stupid reason and it almost got us killed. I'm sorry."

He stared at me for a minute but seemed somewhat appeased by the fact that I realized I had been foolish. "Well, Finch has an idea about how to keep Elias from coming after you anymore." We started walking again and he handed me a slip of paper. "You need to go to the police and the press with this. Let the police track down this money and once Elias thinks you can't get him his money anymore he'll leave you alone."

We were just about back to my apartment when I noticed John wincing a little. He put his hand to his side and it came away bloody.

"You're hurt!" I exclaimed.

"It's nothing." He said.

"You ARE coming in so I can take care of that. " I insisted. He looked like he was about to argue but then nodded.

I unlocked the apartment door and said, "Take off your shirt and I'll go and get some first aid things from the bathroom."

When I came out of the bathroom with my first aid kit, I found Reese sitting on the edge of my couch, his blood stained shirt lying across his knees. His magnificent, lightly tanned body was almost too beautiful to look at. My cheeks flushed lightly as he caught me staring and I turned away, trying to escape his now smirking lips. He knew he had this effect on women. It had happened many times before. But he wasn't arrogant about it. He accepted it. I turned back and the smile had now turned into a wince of pain. I walked towards him and knelt down in front of him. Spreading the contents of the first aid kit onto the floor, I found a piece of gauze and soaked it with rubbing alcohol and cleaned the blood from the wound. He sucked in his breath as I touched his body and I tried to be as gentle as I could. I observed that it wouldn't need stitches and told him so.

"So many scars, Mr. Reese." I whispered as I began to run my fingers tenderly over another scar, located on another rib. I bent down and kissed where my fingers had just touched. He lifted my head towards his. His lips started their assault on mine ever so lightly and then his whole body tensed. His mouth turned aggressive and his breath became shallow and heavy. I could smell his special scent, oak and musk, and my arms went up around his neck and he stood, carrying me with him. His lips left mine only for a moment as he lifted me off the ground and carried me into my bedroom.

He laid me gently onto my back and continued his assault on my lips. I wanted more. I had thought about kissing those lips so many times in the past few days. But, just as quickly as it began, it was also just as quickly halted. He lifted his head, his whole body tense, but controlled. In a voice barely above a whisper he spoke my first name.

"Cecilia, it's a complicated world I live in. In case you haven't figured it out, I'm a trained assassin. I've seen men killed and I've killed. I'm sorry, but I've made it a rule of mine, not to get involved with my clients. I'm sorry; it just has to be that way. Perhaps in another day or time." He kissed my forehead, gathered his clothes and slowly walked out of my life.

I never heard from him again after that.

Until now, that is….

CHAPTER 3

I arrived at the place where I was told to meet him just as the sun was going down. Looking down the beach, I could see Reese was there waiting for me. He had on a pair of jeans with the top button undone and he was shirtless and barefoot. This attire was MUCH different from what I was used to seeing him in. It gave me pause but his dark, graying hair was messed up from the wind, just like I remembered it looked after he took out those men. I quickly tried to put that terrible episode of my life out of my mind. I saw he was sitting on a motorcycle, a white T-shirt and leather jacket carelessly thrown over the back.

His hands were gripping either handle so tightly that his knuckles were turning white, showing the strength in his hands. I knew from watching him handle himself in a fight that those hands were strong, capable and deadly. As I closed the distance between us he got off his bike and without warning he grabbed me and threw me on the sand, on my back with the waves lapping at both of us.

"What? What's go…" is all I got out before he kissed me.

I was stunned for a second. This was not what I expected at all when he told me to meet him here but after his next move, it stopped mattering. The cold water was quite a contrast from the heat being given off by his body and mine once those hands started moving all over me. Without knowing how it happened, I was suddenly shirtless. On Reese's face was that smirky smile of his and he had a glint in his eye that gave me some warning of what was about to happen. Those blue eyes burned hotter as he leaned in to kiss me with that full, passionate mouth. All I could taste was his sweetness as he kissed me deeper and my world started to spin. I had always wondered what it would be like, having free rein to kiss him like this, over and over. It was beyond my wildest dreams.

With his right hand, he pulled a gun from the back of his tight, wet jeans. He cocked it and lay it next to my head, his left hand never leaving my body. Just when I thought I couldn't hold onto my sense of self much longer, he started to kiss me lower; first my neck, then the upper rise of my breasts. The contrast of his sunburnt skin against the white skin of my breast aroused me even more and then suddenly I felt a more intense heat as he drew in a nipple and there was a full, hot sensation deeper and lower. I gasped for breath and rose to offer more of myself.

He looked up and his startling blue eyes locked on to mine, as if to gage my reaction and to plan his next move. I saw my own desire mirrored in those blue depths. His mouth moved back up for one more long soul-searching kiss before returning to his previous explorations. Then those strong, sensual hands began their own exploration. I drew in a quick breath and I felt him smile against me as his hands seemed to touch me everywhere.

Unexpectedly, his body tensed. His head snapped up and he listened into the wind: a sound, tires crunching on the gravel above the dunes. Lost in my desire, it took me longer to come back to Earth but then I began to wonder who would be out here, in this remote place? What was going on here? This Reese was not the reserved, calm, smooth man I had known before.

He suddenly covered my mouth with his left hand to warn me to be quiet. He reached for the already cocked gun lying above my head. In one quick move, he rolled off me and the gun flashed next to me. I heard two quick pops. Nearby, the sand exploded as someone returned fire. He rolled back onto my body, covering and shielding me, keeping me out of harm's way.

Reese's eyes darted back and forth assessing the danger, never taking his eyes off the target up the beach. Then the enemy made a critical mistake, moving around in the fading light and for a split second becoming a very visible target. That's all it took and Reese's gun once again barked, delivering the fatal shots to the enemy above. A man rolled down the dunes and landed next to me. His body was covered in blood, lifeless and cold. His dead eyes stared at me.

Reese quickly turned to shield me from the sight. "Sweetheart, are you alright?" he asked. He gathered me in those strong, sheltering arms. A muffled cry escaped my lips and I buried my head against his warm, hard chest sobbing with relief. I couldn't believe this was happening to me again. Above in the parking lot, we heard a car door slam and then car tires screeching away.

He let me cry for a few minutes but then said, "Let's get out of here." I nodded. Between Reese's unexpected behavior and once again having men trying to kill me, I was still very shaken. Reese hauled me to my feet and handed me my shirt. He donned his own and then reached over and tenderly put his leather jacket over me. It smelled like him, the sharp manly scent I remembered, enveloping me everywhere. I looked up at him and gave him a small smile. He leaned down towards me and covered my mouth with his once more. He began kissing me, tenderly at first, kissing the tracks of my tears and then with more and more intensity, both of us gasping at how quickly the passion between us was re-ignited. Without breaking the kiss, he gradually moved us up against his bike.

CHAPTER 4

I have no idea how long we would have stood like that but I felt him pull away a minute later and saw him touch his ear.

"What is it Finch? I'm kind of busy here."

I was close enough that I could hear Finch's answer. "Mr. Reese, I thought you might be interested in knowing that Detective Fusco just alerted me to the fact that Elias sent two hit men after Ms. Caro again. Do you happen to have her with you? I see her cell phone is showing her near your location."

"Yes Finch, I do and your warning is a little late. One of the hit men got away. Call Fusco and tell him to cleanup on the White Dunes Beach." He paused for a second. "Finch, I'm taking Ms. Caro to the White Dunes Motel. Bring me my usual kit and the red box at the library."

Reese looked down at me. "Also, bring something for Ms. Caro as well. Call me if there are any problems." Reese mounted his motorcycle and I climbed on behind, gripping as tightly as I could. He started the motorcycle up and drove down the beach on the edge of the sand and water, trusting the incoming tide to obliterate our tracks. About two miles down the beach we came upon a deserted boardwalk. Reese drove up onto it and then stopped. He got off and used his foot and a piece of driftwood to wipe out our tracks.

Riding to the motel, Reese scanned the area for any cars following us. He must not have seen anything that seemed dangerous because several minutes later he turned the motorcycle into the parking lot of the motel. He pulled off his helmet and helped me off the bike.

"Come on, let's get inside." I followed Reese into the lobby and to the reception desk. He grabbed my hand and softened his look before facing the desk clerk.

"My wife and I need a room for the week. We would like to do some sightseeing

in the city. Do you have any vacancies?" he asked the female clerk. Then he smiled that dazzling smile he has that always knocked me off my feet. It had the same effect on the desk clerk. I heard her stutter out an affirmative answer and I turned towards the ubiquitous shelf of tourist brochures, trying not to smile.

He signed the registration Mr. and Mrs. Smith and handed the desk clerk cash for the room. The desk clerk asked if we had any luggage and he quickly answered, "Yes, but we'll get them."

He took me by the hand and we walked up the one flight of stairs to room 201. The room faced the ocean and the parking lot. From this angle, we could see the bike and the parking lot entrance. He told me, "Finch is coming with supplies and clothes. But it will be at least two hours."

"In that case, I want an explanation and a shower not necessarily in that order." I said.

He smiled and his eyes lit up. "That's a great idea."

When we got into the room, I dropped my purse on the table and walked into the bathroom and took off my shirt, then slipped my damp pants off. It took me a minute to realize that Reese was right behind me. He spun me around and brought me up hard against his bare chest. His lips began to devour my mouth again and I reached up to thread my hands through his hair. As his onslaught continued, I had to grab ahold of his shoulders to keep myself upright. His hands slid down to unhook my bra. It fell slowly off my shoulders and Reese leaned down and followed it down, nipping me with little love bites as it went. I reached down myself and cupped the bulge in his pants. It bucked a little in my hand.

"No." he said firmly. He reached over and turned on the shower. "Get in." he ordered.

I reached down and slipped off my panties and climbed in, letting the hot water run down my face. He finished undressing and got in behind me. I moved over to let him get wet as well but he just reached over and grabbed the soap. He lathered up my back and everywhere he touched me my skin burned. He pulled me close up against him, still not turning me around and I could feel his manhood, hard and hot against my back. He placed his hands on my hips, and then reached around and down to the junction of my thighs and started touching me. My knees almost buckled and I cried out softly.

With his hard manhood digging into my back, I reached behind and grabbed his now swollen member. He groaned and enjoyed the attention for a moment then he turned me around and pinned me up against the shower wall. He lifted me up then impaled me and slipped into my waiting vagina. I could feel myself stretching to accommodate him.

"John!" I managed to gasp out.

He groaned with pleasure as my heat surrounded him. He withdrew and then he thudded home into me once, then again and again. He kissed my neck and then lightly bit it. Again and again, he pulled out and smashed into me, pulled out and smashed into me. This was no tender love making but a possession of my body. I knew he was staking his claim, here and now and somehow I couldn't bring myself to mind. I wanted this, I WANTED to be his and I wanted to make him mine. I knew he would keep me safe and I would guard his soul.

Then with one last thrust, we came easily in unison, our breath coming fast and heavy. I cried out his name again and then went limp. I had never been so fully and completely taken before.

"Cecilia, you know I'll never let anything happen to you." he whispered softly to me. I was too spent to do more than nod. I knew he would take care of anything he considered his. He laughed at my lack of energy and said "Let's finish this shower shall we?" He lathered me down the front, the soap and his hands sliding back and forth over my breasts. I stirred again and reached for him but he just continued to clean the sand off me and then himself.

Once we were clean, he turned the shower off, stepped out and asked me "Can manage to you dry yourself off?"

"I'm not COMPLETELY helpless!" I tried to say with some heat. Even to my ears, it fell flat. He just smiled and left the bathroom. I got out and as I was finishing drying myself off, he returned. He swept me up in his arms before I had a chance to protest and carried me to the bed he had turned down.

"We have some time. You should try and sleep."

"But what is going on here?" I asked.

"You'll get your explanation. AFTER you get some sleep. We have a lot to discuss." That was an understatement I thought to myself.

He then climbed into bed next to me and pulled me close into him. After all the emotional ups and downs of the day, I couldn't help but drift off, snuggled up so close to the heat of his bare body.

CHAPTER 5

I woke to feel him caressing my face. Then he gave me a single, through kiss and said, "Cecilia we need to get up now. Finch just called, he'll be here in ten minutes."

I sighed and sat up, not sure I wanted an explanation if it meant that this had to end. But I had never been one to bury my head in the sand either.

"So, I'm waiting for my explanation and I hope it includes two things: number one, why is Elias after me again, why now? And number two, what happened to your rule about not getting involved with your clients?"

He didn't answer me right away but got up and gathered his clothes. Watching John dress, I had a full view of his tanned and taut torso. He was unaware of the effect his manhood was having on me, and I turned away quickly. As my cheeks were starting to burn hot with embarrassment after lingering a little too long on the bottom half of Mr. Reese, I slowly pulled the covers aside and draped my legs off the side of the bed. I stretched and stood up slowly. My head felt like it had been hit with a brick. It was throbbing and I winced in pain.

Reese saw me wince and spoke just above a whisper. "That sometimes can happen, after a rush of adrenaline. Your head will clear in a moment." I walked across the room to my discarded clothes and took them into the bathroom and splashed water on my face. Just then, I heard a knock on the motel door. I heard Reese cock his gun. He looked through the privacy hole in the door and lowered his gun. It was Mr. Finch, with the supplies he had been instructed to bring.

"Did you make sure you weren't followed Finch?"

"Yes Mr. Reese. I'm sure." Finch answered. He had with him a small bag, a suit and shirt, still in their dry cleaning bags and a large red plastic box. He dropped all of this near the door and turned to me "Ms. Caro, I doubt you'll feel the same, but it's very nice to see you again."

"On the contrary Harold," I said with a smile, "I'm always glad to see someone who helped save my life." I gave him a quick hug. As I pulled away, I saw him looking towards the beds, one of which was still made and the other which had obviously been slept in. He frowned.

There was a bit of an awkward silence and I asked him. "Harold, you wouldn't happen to have a toothbrush in any of that would you?"

"Well, I think I might be able to find one here for you. I also brought you some clean clothes."

I beamed at him and quickly took the bag and toothbrush into the bathroom. As I was closing the door, I heard Harold say to Reese "I hope you know what you're doing Mr. Reese."

Reese answered with silence, which seemed to be his usual evasive tactic. I was starting to be able to read his moods and his body language. This both thrilled and scared me. Usually I didn't fall for the bad boy type. I was a geek in high school, doing extra work for extra credit. That's why I became a school teacher. I wanted to get kids as excited about school as I was.

I cleaned up a bit more. It felt great to have clean clothes on again. I walked back out into the room and found Reese dressed as smartly as I remembered him in that crisp white shirt with the collar open and the dark suit that just highlighted how distinguished his graying hair was. I couldn't help but smile. For the past six months, I had had only my memory of him this way, the reality was so much better!

I looked around. "Where is Harold?" I asked.

"He left." John said in a flat tone of voice. He walked over to the red box and opened it. I saw several different types of guns inside. I thought now might be a good time to tell him how things had changed since the day he left.

"John, do remember that guy in the alley, the one I killed with a knife?" He nodded. "Well for weeks, I had nightmares about that. I felt the knife slide into him and the jarring feeling of hitting bone. Killing that man was one of the worst days of my life.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." He whispered.

I shook my head. "That's not the point. After a week or so of nightmares, I realized something. I realized that I was stronger than even I imagined. I had killed a man that was going to kill me. I had actually KILLED someone. It bothered me more than I can tell you, but I when push came to shove, I was able to do it. From that point on, I decided to learn how to protect myself whatever it took. Joss, helped me. We went every day to the practice range until I was able to make a head and kill shot without missing even once. I took a few classes on self-defense and I had been planning on learning more. I was a kitten in a forest filled with wolves when you first met me. But I knew Elias was still out there and I promised myself that while they may get me in the end, I wasn't going to go down without a fight. They would find that this cat had claws. So, I bought myself a weapon and learned how to handle it with confidence. I'm never going to be caught off guard again."

I crossed the room to where my purse was lying and pulled out a Smith and Wesson almost as big as the one I knew he carried. He was impressed and could see I was comfortable in handling my own gun. He saw me eyeballing his collection of guns. "You know, I've never learned to shoot a Colt. Do you…"

He cut me off, "Cecilia, I have a hard and fast rule of thumb. No one touches my weapons except me. I'm glad to see you now have your own gun." He paused. "However, shooting a target isn't shooting a man. Even police officers have a hard time after shooting a suspect and must undergo extensive therapy afterwards."

I sighed. "I know John and I don't want to kill anyone but I'll be damned if I'll let them just kill me. I just thought you should know." I put the gun back in my purse. "So you have yet to answer either of my questions. Why is Elias after me now and why are we...?" I couldn't quite bring myself to say it. I know it was superstitious, but I was afraid that in talking about it, things would change. Like he'd suddenly remember who I was and what I was supposed to be...strictly a client.

"Elias is after you now because up until now, he was still working on getting his organization in place. He knows you can identify him and more importantly testify that he was the one who murdered your parents. He can't afford to have a loose end like you out there anymore. The answer to your other question is a bit more complicated."

He got up and started pacing the room. "I've been thinking about you ever since I left that day." He admitted reluctantly, like he was admitting he had committed a sin. "I tried to put you out of my mind, but the littlest things made me think of you; passing a school, or a coffee shop." We both laughed a little at that, he knew how much I loved my coffee. He came up to me and held me close. "Or I'd see a brunette woman with your build or I'd smell something that would remind me of how nice you smell. The smell of vanilla…do you have any idea how many bakeries there are in the city?" he chuckled. "No matter what I tried, I couldn't make myself forget you. It started to interfere with my work. So I found myself willing to break my own rule. I called you to come meet me, hoping you'd still feel something for me as well."

"I think you know the answer to that now." I said.

He smirked. "I have an idea, but perhaps you better show me. Later that is." He added when I got a glint in my eye. "For now, I want you to know I see you not as a client but rather an equal." He let me go and began arming himself. "Now, it's still early in the morning, this is the best time to move you to a safe house. We need to go. This place is too close to the beach where they followed you to."

"A safe house again?" I asked. He gave me a dirty look. "Alright, alright Mr. Reese, I'll stay where you put me. On one condition..."

"What is that?"

"Can we please stop and get some coffee?" John just rolled his eyes and kissed my cheek. Then his eyes got that cold, shuttered look and he told me to stay behind him.

We got to the safe house without incident and coffee in hand. It was a different one that the one I had been to six months before.

"I take it there are several of these safe houses around the city?" I asked as we walked in. There was a dining room table with several chairs and a small kitchen on one side of the building. A wall of computer screens dominated another side. There were several doors leading off into what I assumed were bathrooms and bedrooms. A large, thick carpet lined the floor in front of a couch placed before the screens and monitors. On either side of the couch were exposed poles that supported many of the computer wires leading to the workstation on the right side of the couch. We sat down next to each other on the couch.

"What are we going to do about Elias? He won't stop you know." I decided to talk about the white elephant in the room.

"Finch is working on something, trying to find a way to locate him. But before we can think about Elias, we have something else we need to do. Despite your ability to use a gun, I'm still not comfortable with having you out on the street unprotected. You had mentioned you wanted to know more hand to hand combat techniques. I think that is an excellent idea."

"You'll teach me some? Now?" I asked excitedly. I wanted to do all I could to make sure I wasn't unprepared for the next attack when it came as I knew it must sooner or later. I also wanted to ensure that Reese didn't see me as a helpless female in need of rescuing all the time. I wanted him to see that he needn't walk away again because he would be endangering me, that I was capable of taking care of myself.

"Yes now. If you're done with your coffee that is."

"Ok, give me a second to change." The stylish but filmy, billowy blouse and trousers that Harold had brought me at the hotel would not be practical for this type of work. They'd make easy targets to grab ahold of. "Which room is mine?" I asked. I trusted Harold would have seen to setting one up for me complete with clothes. If there was one thing I could say about the man, it was that he knew how to dress.

"The one on the right I think, furthest from the door." John said and I saw him go into one of the other rooms, presumably to change too. I came back out five minutes later wearing a cotton tank top and a pair of form-fitting leggings meant for jogging.

I saw John admiring me from his doorway, dressed in another T-shirt and jeans. He sauntered up to me and ran a hand from my hip, over my ass and partially down my thigh.

"Nice." he said. "I think I'm going to enjoy this." His low, sexy voice sent shivers up my spine.

"I thought you were going to teach me some combat techniques Mr. Reese." I tried to sound as calm, cool and collected as he always did.

"And so I will. Ready?" I nodded. "First, the premise of hand to hand combat is that your fists, elbows, knees and feet can become weapons, both offensive and defensive. You want to inflict as much damage as you can, as quickly as you can while deflecting attacks made against you. There are several ways to do this but the main idea is to use both your body and your attackers' in ways that increase the force you can deliver. For example, in the knee strike you will want to grab the person's shirt or arm and pull them towards you. This downward momentum will add to the impact when they connect with your knee, the knee that you have just thrust up using you entire hip and lower body. He then demonstrated by grabbing a hold of my tank top and pulling me downwards. This set me off balance and at the same time he brought his knee up between my legs. He paused there for a second saying, "See what I mean?" and then used the knee to rub me between my legs for a second or two before letting me go. I straightened up and frowned at him. He continued nonchalantly.

"The next technique is the foot stomp. It's a technique meant to distract your opponent so that you can break his hold on you. You raise your leg slightly and drive the heel of your foot directly into the top of the opponent's foot. Here, put an arm lock around my neck and I'll show you," he told me. While Reese was taller than I was, I somehow managed get him in a tight enough hold that I felt sure he couldn't break out of it unless he flipped me over. "Ok, ready?" he asked. I told him I was and in a split second, he stepped on my foot which caused me to double over and release him. As I was leaning down to check on my foot, he said that he would now either be able to give me an elbow right in the face to incapacitate me or "this" and he quickly put me in an arm lock of his own. Then, he brought my face up to his and kissed me hard, forcing his tongue into my mouth and pressing me against his body. I was surprised but was just beginning to return his kiss when he released me and stepped back.

"What are you doing?" I asked him a little breathlessly.

He gave me an impersonal look and continued in that calm, unemotional voice he sometimes had, "Your opponent will try and distract you in any way he knows how. You need to understand that. You need to focus here, or you'll never be any good at this."

While I didn't agree with his methods, he did have a point about trying to ignore distractions. "Alright. What's next?" I asked.

"Next, is leg and forearm blocks. You always want to keep your hands up in front of your face. When you can't avoid being hit, deflect it by intercepting their arm with your forearm." He told me. He aimed a punch at my head and I threw up my arm to block it. I didn't quite make it in time and while I saw him stem the force of the blow, he still connected with an ear. I tried to ignore the sharp pain this caused but I became angry when he said, "Not quick enough, you need to be quicker or you'll be dead."

He repeated the move several times, each time saying, "NO! Quicker!" even though most of the time I was successful at blocking his attacks. Then he connected once more with the opposite hand. This time he only got me lightly but it still stung because it was my collarbone he hit. I couldn't help but cover the area with my hand for a second to stop the stinging. Reese, grabbed my hand away and inspected the area.

"You might bruise here, you are so fair-skinned." He leaned closer and began to rain kisses on my neck, and when he reached that one extremely sensitive spot I have between my neck and collarbone, I shivered and my heart began to race. He stopped immediately and spoke in an unsympathetic tone. "At least when you see that bruise, you'll remember what can happen if you are not quicker. Now, again."

I couldn't understand what was going on here. He'd be so callous one moment and then he'd start touching me in the next. We exchanged strikes but I was never able to connect, I had all I could do in keeping him from connecting with me. He continued to mock my progress and I got angrier and angrier. He could tell I was getting angry when I shoved him away from me as he grabbed my arm and tried to kiss the inside of my elbow. "You need to keep your cool or you'll make mistakes! Now calm down and focus!" he said dispassionately.

"Look around you!" he said at one point. "Find something you can use as a weapon, anything. Just move faster!" My eyes darted around the room looking but all I saw at first were the pillows on the couch. My momentary distraction allowed him to once more connect by using his body to shove me off-balance. As I was stumbling, I grabbed the pillow and aimed it at his head with as much force as I could muster. It connected with a satisfying "thwap."

He smiled at me and then with unbelievable speed, he grabbed me by a tank strap and spun me away from him. I heard a rip and the tank top hung onto me for only a minute more before it fell away. I stood up chest heaving from our exertions only to hear him say, "That's a flimsy, lace bra you have on Cecilia. Seems like it would rip rather easily."

I saw his eyes gleam and then he took something out of a pocket and advanced towards me. I used a leg to kick the object out of his hand. A pair of handcuffs skittered across the floor. Seeing them made me even angrier. He was carrying this too far! We both dove for them but I was closer and for once quicker. I stood up once more with a triumphant look on my face but he didn't give me a chance to gloat and ran towards me, trying to grab the handcuffs from my grasp. As I was taught in self-defense class, I used his momentum to set him off balance and he sprawled on the floor. Taking advantage of my position, I quickly slapped the handcuffs around his wrists and forced his hands up over his head. I was surprised to find myself sitting on top of him. As I sat there trying to catch my breath, an idea came to mind. He wanted to show me that I needed to stay calm and detached while fighting but I wondered how calm and detached he would remain once **I **had the upper hand.

I smiled down at him and mocked him in the same tone as he had been mocking me only a few minutes before. "So, Mr. Reese, you think you can always remain calm and cool in the face of your opponents? Well, let's put that to the test, shall we?" I pushed his shirt up over his head, onto his arms and up to his wrists bound by the handcuffs.

I started out tenderly kissing his face, first his forehead, then down his nose. Just as I was about to kiss his cheek, he turned his head, trying to get me to kiss his mouth instead. "Not fast enough." I admonished him as I kissed his cheek and followed his cheekbone over to his ear. I took his earlobe in my mouth and teased it a little and then switched to the other one. "Still not distracted yet?" I whispered to him.

When he didn't say anything, I pulled back so I could look at him. "Me neither." I spoke with a bit of a smile in my voice. I continued on to my next target. I began kissing his shoulder, then his biceps. I could feel the strong muscles flex a little and I continued on up to his forearms and to the palm of his hands. "I just love your hands John. They are ONE of your best features. I'd hate to leave them out." I took one of his long fingers into my mouth and made love to it as I would soon be doing to the rest of him. The fingers on his other hand made a fist. I saw it and I wanted to laugh. I hoped he was imagining what other things I might do to him.

I moved down once more and started to lay a trail of kisses down his chest. I gently rubbed my lips against his right nipple. I heard a groan of pleasure, and a smile crossed my lips. My mouth opened and I took in his nipple, I gently sucked and teased it with my tongue. I moved to his other nipple and I could almost feel his heartbeat increasing as I continued to tease it with my lips.

I looked up at him and saw that he was staring down at me, an intense look in his eyes. Watching him, I began to trail kisses lower and lower. Every time I encountered a scar I stopped and kissed it, my way of acknowledging all the hurt that he had been through. Finally, I got to the top of his jeans. I caressed his belly for a second before I started to undo the buttons. He closed his eyes as I slipped off his pants. I kissed his waiting bulge through his black briefs then slowly pulled the briefs down. His now engorged penis sprang free and I stopped for a second in amazement. Up until that point, I had never really gotten a good look at him in all his glory. I looked up at him for a second, smiled at the look he was giving me and then went back to making love to him. I started at the base of his penis and using my tongue, I licked the thick line on the underside all the way to the tip. He writhed a little and I did it again, pleased that I could make him respond to me whether he wanted to or not. Once more I licked him but this time when I got back up to the tip, I kissed it and he moaned in response. My legs were straddled on either side of him and my full weight was on my hands and knees using only my mouth to tease him, I gently sucked in all of his manliness into my mouth. Another groan of pleasure escaped his lips and he softly spoke my name. My mouth began moving up and down his mighty shaft, my lips keeping a tight hold on it as my tongue flicked over it. Farther and farther down my throat as I took him into my mouth. With each plunge of my hot wetness, he pushed further into my throat, thrusting his hips up and groaning. Then suddenly and without warning or hesitation, he managed to flip me onto my back and I found that I was now the handcuffed one and he was on top, legs straddling either side of my body with his penis right at the junction of my thighs.

"You've made your point Cecilia, now I'm going to make mine." He whispered huskily. He freed my breasts from my bra and in one quick movement he removed my pants as well. The feeling of having his naked body pressed against mine was so arousing. I wanted to touch him all over but the handcuffs prevented me from doing more than putting my hands on his chest.

John started kissing me, first the corners of my mouth and then my lips. His hands meanwhile began to touch my breasts. First the undersides and I shivered, then the nipples. He pinched and rolled them between his fingers until they were hard, sensitive peaks. I gasped at the intense sensations he was able to create in just moments and he took advantage of my open mouth to slip his tongue in and play with mine for a second before he withdrew and did it all over again. I moaned deep in my throat. His mouth never left mine but his left hand stopped its gentle manipulation of my nipple and I could feel his knuckles slowly descending towards my stomach. My legs seemed to have a will of their own and opened wide. My breath was now coming hard and fast and I could feel his thumb gently rubbing my clit. I spoke his name through our kiss. He then entered me with his finger, first one then another. All the while, rubbing and rubbing me. I felt the tension building as a result of what he was doing to me. He took his fingers away and I whimpered at their loss. However in the next second, I could feel his penis pushing at my entrance. He slowly entered my now wet vagina, inch by excruciatingly, slow inch. I tried to tell him I wanted more but the feelings he was producing were overwhelming. Still, he must have known what I wanted and wanted it too because our hips began moving in perfect rhythm. With each thrust, he drove harder and deeper. He was once again claiming his territory. I could feel the tremors in my body as he became harder and harder inside me. With one last thrust, I felt a shudder and we climaxed together, our breath coming in short panting gasps.

I was shaken by how intense the climax was. It had never been like that before with anyone. I opened my mouth to ask him if he felt the same but then stopped. I didn't want to trap him into admitting feelings he couldn't allow himself to have. Not in his business. Instead, I wrapped my arms around him and held him close. He lay his head down on the top of mine and sighed.

Once he was able to catch his breath, he spoke softly into my right ear. "Cecilia, the business I'm in is not an easy one. It's a lonely existence that has no room for romance or a relationship. However, you're not like most of the women I've had to rescue. You're strong and independent. If Finch were to offer you a job, I'd like you to accept it."

I thought about it for a moment. Did I want to give up my life as I knew it? That's what it would come down to. Did I want to live like John did, always looking over my shoulder? COULD I? Was I really strong enough as John said? I looked up into his deep blue eyes, searching for an answer. I found it in the concern and love I saw there. How could I NOT want to be with this man for the rest of my life? I would give up anything, do anything for him. When he left me that once, I didn't feel whole anymore. I didn't want that to happen again. Didn't think I could manage to make it through that again. At least if I took the job, neither of us would be alone anymore. He saw the answer as soon as I made the decision and he scooped me up and hugged me tightly, laughing and smiling all the while. It was an incredible feeling, knowing that I was able to make him this happy.

After I had given my answer, he unlocked the cuffs. "How did you get out of these?" I asked.

"My dear, one thing you definitely have to work on is your thinking skills when you are distracted." He grinned." If you're going to handcuff someone, you need to search them properly first."

"I'll keep that in mind next time I feel like 'distracting' you." I laughed.

CHAPTER 6

We dressed quickly and waited for Harold to arrive. I was very nervous about this whole endeavor but excited at the same time. Harold showed up a few minutes later with coffee and breakfast. We all sat down together and talked for several hours, our conversation throughout the morning flowed easily though we didn't broach the subject of Elias. I got up and excused myself at one point and when I returned, I could see that John had approached the subject of hiring me. Harold seemed nervous and jumpy and began asking me several rapid fire questions. Did I feel I could protect myself without John being there all the time? Did I realize that if I began working with them, then Ms. Caro would cease to exist, I'd have to change my name. Would I be willing to give up my friends, my apartment, my life? Why did I want to do this?

I answered that last question without hesitation. "Harold, one of the reasons I got into teaching was to help kids. I took a job in one of the poorest districts because those kids needed me the most. I could have had a higher paying job elsewhere but I saw that I was able to do the most good where I was. You and John are also helping people but on a larger scale. Why would I NOT want to help with that?"

Harold paused and then nodded and accepted what I said. "So you really want to do this? " He asked one last time.

"I do." I said without hesitation.

Harold turned to John. "And this is what you want as well? Knowing you'll be putting her in some danger?"

"God help me, I do. " He answered Harold.

So it was agreed upon that I would do the research and John would continue to do the leg work. "Well this isn't totally unexpected." Harold told me as he turned towards me and handed me a photo of my earlier years with a computer software company I worked for right out of college. He had obviously done his homework on me and must have come to realize that I could be trusted. After all, as far as I knew, I still had my full security clearance from when the company had done some work for the government. John seemed surprised and speechless.

"See, you don't know everything about me Mr. Reese." I teased. My security clearance it seemed made it easier when it came time for me, to "meet The Machine" as Harold called what happened next. He walked me over to the bank of computer screens and began typing.

"I'm going to give you a very limited access here Ms. Caro, but let me explain how this works."

"Is this really possible?" I asked incredulously when Harold described to me how they figured out who needed help. "I mean I saw how we followed John through the cameras that once, but this is way beyond even that!" I got up and started pacing the room. I did NOT like the idea of my every move, my every word being recorded and analyzed.

"I don't know what to say here." I finally spoke looking from John to Harold and back again. "I mean this is brilliant, " I looked at Harold, knowing that he was the one who must have built the Machine, "but, this is.." I couldn't put it into words.

"Your reaction is PRECISELY why we can never tell anyone else about the Machine. If anyone found out about what we do here, we would be stopped at all costs, definitely thrown in prison, probably killed."

I took a deep breath. "Well, I'm in obviously. It's going to take me a while to get used to this though."

Harold smiled. "Well, let me give the two of you some time to talk about this. I have some other business to attend to this afternoon." On the way out, he turned to me and said, "It's going to be very good to have you on the team Ms. Caro. Perhaps you can help me handle Mr. Reese's more…. exasperating….. moments as well." and he smiled and left.

I looked over at John, still feeling a little bewildered over all this. "You took it rather well." He said. "When Finch first told me, I told him I didn't believe it. It took more forceful convincing on his part to get me to accept the possibilities. Even then, I almost took his head off." He smiled remembering.

"Well, that sounds like an interesting story." I gave him the opportunity to open up and tell me a little about his past.

"Yes. We have a lot to talk about," he promised. "But AFTER I go out and get us some lunch."

"Why don't I just come with you instead?" I grabbed my purse and started walking towards the door.

We headed down a back alley on the north side of the building. From there, we crossed several streets and then headed to a small cafe. Once inside, we chose a table facing the street. John sat with his back against the wall. There were only two other patrons and they were leaving. Other than the owner and us, the cafe was deserted. I enjoyed the thought of being out in public with John and reached for his hand. He smiled at me as the owner approached us with menus. Upon his return, I ordered a large coffee and a roast beef sandwich. John ordered coffee and a ham sandwich. Just as we were finishing our meal, the back door opened and a flash of recognition crossed John's face. He pushed me to the floor with his left hand and with his right he withdrew the gun from his back. But before he could shoot, the lone attacker kicked the gun from his hand and it went spinning through the air. John then reached into his boot and pulled out a knife. That too was kicked from his hand. With one step the assailant was upon John. I fumbled with my purse, trying to get my gun out as I watched in horror as the assailant punched John in the head. John shook his head and blocked the next punch with an arm. He kicked out and the man was forced back just enough so that I had a clear shot without John getting in the way. The gun blasted and the assailant dropped like a stone.

Just then John touched his earwig and I heard him exclaim. "You're a little late Finch! Elias already found us. Call Fusco and tell him clean up in aisle ten at the Lonesome Dove Café."

The assailant was sprawled on the floor, and was bleeding out from his left side, just below the heart. He was wounded and dying but still breathing. I could see a tattoo of a Greek flag on the assailants forearm. It was Elias, or as I knew him, Mr. Burton. I tried to summon up an ounce of remorse for having killed a man again. But this time, I found my conscious clear. This was the man who had killed my parents and tried to kill me multiple times.

John walked over to me and started to check me over for injuries. "Yes, we're both ok Finch. No, Elias is not going to be a problem anymore. Cecilia shot him. Alright, we'll be in touch."

"Why did you push me out of the way?" I asked John.

"Force of habit I guess." He shrugged.

"Well, we're going to have to work on that." I smiled at him and reached for his hand.

He reached over with his other and gently tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. Then he cupped my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into the caress. I heard him whisper "Thank you."

I opened my eyes and smiled at him. "Thank you? For what?" I asked. What came next nearly broke my heart.

"For making me feel." He paused and then said, "For seeing something in me that few people do. Something that perhaps may be worth redemption after all."

When Fusco came to dispose of the body, it was gone.

= End of Episode: Teacher's Pet =

Ludwig/Pate Page 29


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